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Counselling & Mentoring for Young People
Supporting families, children and young people aged 5 years and upwards
At Essential Space, we understand that growing up can bring moments of joy, change, confusion, and challenge. Every young person’s story is unique, and we believe in offering compassionate, consistent, and non-judgmental support to help them navigate their world in ways that feel safe and meaningful.
Meeting them as unique individuals in a way that suits them
Therapeutic Play & Talk
For younger children, we use Talk and Play .
A gentle and effective approach that combines play-based activities with therapeutic conversation and insight. Play helps the child feel relaxed, safe, and open, allowing deeper emotional expression to emerge naturally.
Through this process, children can begin to heal from difficult experiences, develop self-understanding, and build emotional resilience.
We offer support for the whole family,, ensuring stability and continuity of care is in place, which is essential for building trust and therapeutic progress.
LEGO Therapy
LEGO® Therapy is one of our most loved tools — and it’s suitable for all ages. This playful yet powerful approach helps to distract the cognitive brain, allowing the person to immerse themselves in building. In this relaxed state, our LEGO® Specialists can gently explore what may be causing distress or difficulty.
LEGO® Therapy is also effective as a group intervention, bringing together young people with similar experiences to build confidence, practice patience, explore how things can “build up and crash down,” and share in the joy of creating something unique together. For some, this creative process is the most authentic way to communicate what they need to express.
Mentoring
Our Mentoring service is designed for young people aged 11 to 21 who want practical, ongoing support that isn’t necessarily focused on a historical mental health issue. Mentoring can help them:
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Make sense of situations or experiences
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Develop self-awareness and confidence
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Learn and apply coping strategies for everyday challenges
Each mentoring session is tailored to the individual’s developmental age and needs, offering a flexible, relational space where they can be themselves and receive thoughtful, guided support.
Counselling
These sessions offer a therapeutic space where they can explore their feelings, experiences, and relationships at their own pace.
Being truly heard by a skilled therapeutic professional can be transformative. Our counsellors use their training and insight to unlock communication and behavioural patterns, helping young people find strategies and internal resources that can support them throughout their lives.
We believe in consistent and ongoing support. Our sessions are not time-limited, unless there are funding restrictions. Importantly, we do not change therapists once a young person has been assigned.
Why Early Emotional Support Matters
Research shows that early therapeutic support can make a significant difference to a child or young person’s emotional wellbeing, both now and into adulthood. Evidence from child development and mental health studies indicates that:
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Early intervention can reduce the severity and duration of emotional distress.
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Therapeutic relationships help improve communication, self-awareness, and the ability to regulate emotions.
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Consistent support can lower the likelihood of long-term mental health challenges and improve educational engagement and peer relationships.
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Children who feel heard and understood by a trusted adult are more likely to develop healthy coping mechanisms and seek support in the future.
Our approach is designed to support these outcomes, not through a one-size-fits-all model, but through a personalised pathway for each young person.
How Essential Space Stands Out
Receiving the right support matters
Many mental health services operate within strict time limits, changing therapists part-way through, or offering standardised interventions that don’t always fit the individual. At Essential Space, we do things differently:
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Individualised Pathways: Every child or young person is unique. We build a support pathway around their needs, strengths, and preferences. working with them every step of the way. Some young people express themselves best through creative tools and activities, rather than through words alone. Our Creative Mentoring approach brings elements such as art, expression, walk and talk, photography, collage, and other imaginative practices into sessions. These methods can make it easier for young people to communicate what’s happening for them, while building confidence and self-expression in meaningful ways.
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Therapeutic Consistency: Once a young person is matched with a therapist or mentor, they will stay with that professional for the duration of their support. This stability is essential for trust, safety, and meaningful progress.
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No Time-Limited Support (where funding allows): We believe therapeutic work shouldn’t be rushed. Our support continues for as long as it’s needed, unless external funding has specific limits.
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Integrated Counselling and Mentoring: We offer a blend of therapeutic and practical support, including Talk and Play, Creative Mentoring, and LEGO® Therapy — tailored to the developmental stage and needs of each individual
Experience working with Neurodiversity
We are proud to offer specialist support for neurodivergent young people, including those with Autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences — whether formally assessed or self-identified.
Our ADHD, Autism, and ADHD-trained therapists understand the diverse ways neurodivergent children and young people experience and process the world. We tailor our sessions to respect and work with their communication styles, sensory needs, and strengths. By creating a supportive environment that honours neurodiversity, we help young people feel safe to express themselves and develop strategies that genuinely work for them.
Inclusive Practice where we can support adults and young people
We recognise that supporting a young person often involves understanding the wider family context. Our team considers the family environment and works in partnership with parents and carers to support sustained change.
Our commitment to inclusivity and whole-family mental health has been recognised locally and nationally. We are proud recipients of the ‘No Child Left Behind Award’ (2022) for our passion for inclusion, and we have been runners-up in the Mental Health and Whole Family Support category, highlighting the impact and quality of our services.
Skilled Team of passionate professionals
Our dedicated team includes:
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Mentors
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Counsellors in training
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Therapeutic Play & Talk Therapists
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Qualified Counsellors and Clinical Supervisors
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LEGO® Specialists
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LGBT Specialist Counsellors & Mentors
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Therapy Dog 'Lulu'
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Safeguarding Lead
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Creative Therapists
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Therapeutic Groups and 1-1 Support
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Trained in various skills and areas of practice; counsellors, mentors, nannies, tutors, social work, foster carers, and health and social care training background who bring extensive experience in working with and supporting the whole family in their therapeutic practice. We also have access to a qualified play therapist an ADHD assessor and neurodiversity coach onsite.
All team members receive regular clinical supervision and hold an enhanced DBS, ensuring a safe and professional service.
At Essential Space, we are committed to meeting each young person where they are, offering the support, creativity, and therapeutic support they need to flourish, both now and into the future.
We take the time to build a pathway of support that works
Choosing support for your child is about finding a space where they are truly seen, heard, and valued. At Essential Space, we create a bespoke therapeutic journey that honours who they are, supports where they are, and grows with them over time.
Your child’s wellbeing matters deeply — and together, we can help them build the skills, confidence, and self-awareness they need to flourish.
Sessions are available in schools, community spaces, and therapy rooms across Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Stroud, as well as online for flexibility.
